Devoted to Christ

“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3)

‘The simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.’ A more concise statement on the nature of Christianity you could not get. A Christian is one who is devoted to Christ. When you expand that out it also means that a Christian is one who is devoted to what Christ is devoted to. Why is it that we make it more complex than that? I think a part of the reason is because we are trying to juggle a whole lot of other competing interests and devotions and then we start making excuses and injecting our reason into the equation. What is so beautifully simple and pure then becomes complex, complicated and corrupted. I love the response of the people who heard the message that Peter preached on the day of Pentecost. After being pierced to the heart by what they heard they cried out, ‘what shall we do.’ Then having received and responded in obedience to Peter’s instructions to repent, be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit it says, “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer.” These new Christians became committed disciples who were devoted to Christ and His body, the church. If we are to be fully joined to Christ then we have to be fully devoted to Christ and love what He loves. Let us take heed to the warning by the apostle Paul that we be not deceived and led astray by the cunning and craftiness of the serpent from the simplicity of being devoted to Christ.